The Rev. Ted Haggard lost his pulpit because he admitted to “sexual immorality” outside of his marriage, and the gender of the other person involved had no bearing on the decision-making process, a member of the panel that fired him said Monday.

“Not one time in 3 1/2 days (the panel met) was it ever addressed or discussed that this situation was with a man,” said the Rev. Michael Ware, senior pastor of Victory Church in Westminster.

“That never entered the conversation,” Ware said. “Let’s diffuse that right now. I think people are trying to make this a debate about evangelicals and homosexuality, and this was not a debate in this situation at all.”

Ware’s comments shed more light on Haggard’s stunning fall as one of the nation’s most prominent evangelical leaders. Other observers parsing Haggard’s two-page apology and confession that was read Sunday at New Life Church in Colorado Springs say they can’t tell what “darkness” he is struggling with – marital infidelity or same-sex attraction.

In another development, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson said on his national radio program Monday that he has agreed to serve with two other evangelical leaders on a newly formed board that will further investigate and counsel Haggard.

“There is such damage that can be done through this kind of disclosure to the cause of Christ,” Dobson said. “The media is just salivating out there, it seems, over yet another example of what they see as hypocrisy.”

Part of Haggard’s “restoration process” will involve consulting with a clinical psychologist and others in an attempt to determine whether he is gay, Ware said.

That could involve a polygraph and an examination of his computer hard drive, board chairman the Rev. Larry Stockstill of Louisiana told reporters Sunday.

Haggard, 50, told the four- member board of overseers last week that he does not consider himself gay, nor does he think he engaged in homosexual behavior, Stockstill said.

But Haggard did admit that his contact with gay prostitute Michael Forest Jones of Denver amounted to “sexual immorality,” Ware said. The investigative board found Haggard’s admission that he had solicited a massage from Jones was grounds enough to remove him as New Life Church pastor.

At the same time, Stockstill emphasized Haggard is “not in touch with truth and reality,” making it hard to reach conclusions based on Haggard’s words alone.

Dobson said on air Monday that Haggard “has now admitted to having a homosexual relationship that goes back for several years.”

A Focus on the Family spokesman said that was Dobson’s interpretation after reading Haggard’s letter of apology and wasn’t based on any private conversations with Haggard.

Dobson said of Haggard: “He is my brother. He’s my friend. … He will always be my friend. But because homosexual indiscretions have occurred, they must be dealt with, and they will be.”

In explaining the decision to dismiss Haggard, Ware said the oversight board considered the biblical teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman. “When there is a relationship outside marriage – regardless of who it is with – it is immoral. It didn’t matter to us if it was a male or a female, if it were bestiality. It would have been immoral.”

Ware continued: “As a minister, I look at people. I’ve seen adulterers, fornicators, murderers, thieves. What they did was bad. I am in the soul business. I don’t care if it’s a thief or a homosexual. My job as a pastor is to help people through this maze.”

Other Christians take a different view of the nature of homosexuality. The Rev. Phil Campbell, director of ministry studies at Denver’s Iliff School of Theology, said he can’t be sure what Haggard is struggling with. But Campbell said he believes sexuality is created by God and that healthy sexuality involves commitment, love and compassion, regardless of the gender of those involved.

“I would want to respect Mr. Haggard’s need to work this out in whatever way in consultation with his faith tradition is appropriate,” said Campbell, a United Church of Christ minister who helped found a clergy group supporting marriage rights for gays and lesbians.

“But if the starting point is that homosexuality is bad, is of a darkness, that makes the dialogue difficult,” he said.

Aaron Stern said he had no idea the man he has known for 21 years as Pastor Ted was struggling with self-described “repulsive and dark” corners of his life.

When voices in the culture pose the question, “Is someone born gay,” Stern said he turns to the Bible.

“The Scripture is clear about what is right and what is wrong,” said Stern, who ministers to college-age and twenty-somethings at New Life Church.

“We are all born with different kinds of tendencies. A person might lean toward homosexuality, adultery, pornography, etc.”

“The truth of the Bible is that any one of those issues or tendencies are what the Bible would call sins. And sin can be overcome through the spirit of God.”

While state education officials are sharing their proposals aimed at ending the teacher shortage in Colorado, the state’s largest teacher association says the overall plan lacks specifics and shortchanges traditional preparation programs.